Fort Mifflin on the Delaware

Fort Mifflin is one of the longest continually-operated military facilities in the United States. It was commissioned in 1771 to protect Philadelphia from attack or invasion. During the American Revolution it was the site of the largest bombardment of the War (November 10-16, 1777). The siege gave the Continental Army sufficient time to withdraw to Valley Forge, prolonging the Revolutionary War that ultimately gained America its independence. The Fort was reconstructed in 1797 as part of the First and Second American Systems of Fortification, a series of coastal defense networks designed to protect America's port cities. It later served as a Union Army prison during the Civil War and a munitions depot during World War I and II. Decommissioned in 1954, Fort Mifflin is now a National Historic Landmark, hosting guided tours, living history programs, and a variety of engaging events for school groups, scouts, and the general public. A number of Great War relics have been reclaimed and the Fort had an import part to play in the conflict.

Other Institutions:

The Pennsylvania State Archives is a bureau within the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the official state historical agency. Holding approximately 250 million pages of records, the primary purpose of the State Archives is to collect, preserve, and make available for study the permanently valuable records of Pennsylvania State government and its interactions with its citizens. The institution also collects the private papers of citizens and organizations relevant to Pennsylvania’s history.
Draft Board Records, Posters, Photographs, War History Commission Records, World War I Veterans Service Compensation Files, Maps, Letters, Newspapers, and World War I Service Medal Application Cards are just some of the items related to the Great War that researchers may view at the Pennsylvania State Archives.

The National Archives at Philadelphia maintains the historically significant records of the Federal Agencies and Courts, in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, dating from 1789 to the present.

The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library specializing in American history and culture from the 17th through the early 20th centuries. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, the Library Company is America's oldest cultural institution and has the mission to preserve, interpret, make available, and augment the valuable material in its care. From November 11, 2016 through April 21, 2017, the Library Company of Philadelphia will have on display the exhibition Together We Win: The Philadelphia Homefront During the First World War.

Eastern State Penitentiary—opened in 1829 and closed in 1970—operated throughout nearly every major conflict in modern American history: the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam War. The inmate population mirrored a typical military population—in large part made up of young working class men.

The United States played a critical role in the planning and aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. This article examines the ways in which the Irish American community supported the Irish nationalists involved in the 1916 Rising with material, logistical, and moral support. Although the Easter Rising did not immediately result in the establishment of an Irish Republic, the assistance of the Irish American community helped the Irish nationalists establish an independent nation in the years following the Rising.

BLOG POSTS:

Now on display from October 4, 2018 through February 20th, 2019, on the 1st floor of Falvey Memorial Library, Villanova University, the exhibit “Now far from home”: the ending of the Great War in Popular Imagination and Culture tells the story of American involvement in World War I and the ending of the war, curated […]

One family side show, The Millers Mechanical Shows, founded by John E. Miller and son Clifford M. Miller, traveled the United States showing their miniature reenactments, including their first act “Industrial City“, and later, in 1917 as American troops entered combat in […]

Last Modified: Friday, June 27th, 2014

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